From Tool to Companion: Storywriters Want AI Writers to Respect Their Personal Values and Writing Strategies

Abstract

Modern large-scale language models approach the quality of human-level writing. This promises the advent of AI writing companions performing AI-led writing under human control, surpassing traditional writing tools limited to revision and ideation supports. However, human-AI co-writing may endanger writers' control, autonomy, and ownership by overstepping co-creative boundaries. Our design workbook study with 7 hobbyists and 13 professional writers elicited three sets of primary barriers to the adoption of human-AI co-writing. Storywriters desire retaining control over writing rather than letting AI take the lead when they (1) prioritize emotional values in turning ideas into words over the productivity of AI-generated writing; (2) have high self-confidence and distrust AI in challenging sub-tasks (e.g., creating characters and dialogue); and (3) expect the AI control mechanism to mismatch their writing strategies. We lay the groundwork for AI companions that respect storywriters' personal values and writing methods.